Check strap for looms



A ril 23, 1935. P c, BROWN 1,998,801

CHECK STRAP FOR LOOMS Filed Dec. 21, 1954 I INVENTOR. 12 Philip C Brown 9 BY M, ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claim.

loom increased by the elimination of shut-downs for strap adjustments, repairs and replacements, and more uniform and reliable loom operation secured.

The severe battering from the rapidly repeated blows of the picker stick sustained by the check strap causes the surface of the ordinary all leather strap to wear and abrade with annoying rapidity. As soon as the surface is destroyed disintegration and breakage soon result. Such check straps have been in use for a great many years without substantial change. Many attempts to improve them or to find a satisfactory substitute have been made without success. Since in the average mill several hundred looms are operated, check strap replacement is a constant cause of 1 loss, annoyance and expense.

By this invention surface wear and abrasion is for all practical purposes substantially eliminated and, in consequence, the life of the strap indefinitely prolonged.

One form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, of which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a part of a loom showing the picker stick and the cheek strap in position;

Fig. 2 is a view of the check strap attached to its bracket;

Fig. 3 is a general view of the check strap; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the check strap along the line l4 of Fig. 3 viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The parts of the loom diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 include the picker stick I swingabiy attached to plate 2 by the usual strap and provided with shoe 3 rockable upon plate 2, whereby the essential parallel motion of the picker stick is insured, shuttle box 4 into which the upper end of the picker stick projects, the usual lever 5 connected to the picker stick by lug strap 8 and operatively associated with the picker cam on the cam shaft (not shown) and the picker stick check strap 1 attached to the loom by the usual bracket 8.

The mode of operation of the picker stick and check strap is well known and requires no description herein.

The form of check strap shown is that suitable for use upon a Draper Model E cotton loom among others. but it will be understood that the invention includes within its scope any other desired form applicable to any other type of loom on which check straps are required.

The check strap 1 as shown, consists of a heavy leather strap 0 provided with slots l0 and H at the respective ends. The surface of check strap I with which the picker stick I contacts consists of a layer of tanned shark skin I! securely attached, grain out, to the leather strap 9 in any desired way, preferably by cementing. The strap is applied to the loom by bending it into a loop around the picker stick, shark skin surface inside, and attaching it to the usual bracket 0 by means of a bolt l3 passing through slots II and II. By this construction the picker stick makes contact with the shark skin surface only of the check strap.

One of the qualities of shark skin is tremendous resistance to abrasion. Treatment which would destroy a strap of ordinary leather in a short time, merely creates a high polish on shark skin. It is too thin and lacks sufficient tensile strength to use alone, but backed by a leather strap of of the usual quality it provides a wearing surface of extreme durability. How durable is not definitely known. Check straps of the above construction which have been inexperimzntal commercial use for eleven months, show no perceptible wear or change in the shark skin surface. Ordinary leather check straps on the same sort of looms in the same mill and subjected to the same daily service wear out in approximately three or four months, the wear originatingat the working surface and rapidly eating into the body of the strap. In consequence, the strap becomes more and more flexible and its effect upon the picker stick is constantly changing, which makes impossible the maintenance of uniform picker stick action.

Some idea of the importance of this improvement in check straps can be obtained from the fact that the experimental check straps referred to have sustained approximately 34,000,000 blows of the picker stick without any apparent effect upon the shark skin surface. It solves in a thoroughly practical way a vexatious problem of long standing.

It will be evident that the shark skin surfaced strap of this invention may be adapted to many other industrial uses where a flexible non-abrading surface is required.

I claim:

' 1. A check strap for looms consisting of a substantially flat strap of. relatively great tensile strength to one face of which is securely attached a layer of shark skin with its grain exposed.

2. A check strap for looms consisting of a substantially flat leather strap of relatively great tensile strength and a layer of shark skin cemented to one face thereof.

3. A check strap for looms consisting of a substantially flat leather strap of relatively great tensile strength and a layer' of shark skin cemented to one face thereof with its grain exposed.

PHILIP CARTER BROWN. 

